These 3 birds are always around my house. I can usually get within 3 feet of them.
jmw44
Loc: Princeton, NJ USA
I would love to welcome Sand Hill Cranes. Too bad they're not mating now, they'd be dancing in your yard.
Try the Merlin App....you can identify birds from photos very easy to use
I love them but just be warned they can rip up your lawn in no time at all
Beautiful, Majestic Bird. Nicely done!
Have you seen these Sandhills with their youngins in your yard, too?
olemikey
Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida
They are beautiful birds and we love having them around. I have never seen one tear up a lawn (we have wild hogs/feral hogs for that) and we have the cranes around constantly, they do go around my pond, but seem to prefer grazing in the yards, grassy fields. They do make excellent model's for photography, and will pose for quite a while!! Watch out when they get close to your gear, they will peck a lens.
The FWC - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (game wardens and wild country police) have this to say:
"It is illegal to feed the Sandhill Crane in the state of Florida. It is also illegal to leave garbage in a manner that might attract these birds, and it will also attract bears and other creatures you may not want in your yard. This is partly because sandhill cranes can be a nuisance to people in residential areas, as they will begin to depend on humans rather than forage for their own food" They can also become aggressive toward humans due to the feeding, and when they have young one's with them.
Cats and dogs will kill their young, though they may get beat-up in the process.
One of my favorite birds!
Thank you for the information. I don't feed the birds since they have plenty of natural food around and a large lake in the back yard. I do love to watch them and in the 2 years I have been here have seen no young, just the 3 birds.
Many years ago I saw a huge number of Sandhill Cranes as they were settling for the night. They were as far as I could see. They were migrating through northern Indiana. I had never seen a flock like that. They were landing in the marsh and the noise they were making!! There were people with huge cameras with huge lenses. I went home and looked up the name of big birds. I was hooked. The same fall in Florida I saw many many birds that I had never seen. Now I have the camera and the lenses and I'll never go back.
olemikey
Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida
jerryroelk wrote:
Thank you for the information. I don't feed the birds since they have plenty of natural food around and a large lake in the back yard. I do love to watch them and in the 2 years I have been here have seen no young, just the 3 birds.
The family units tend to stay together, one of them was probably the "survivor" baby. From what I understand they mate for life.
jerryroelk wrote:
These 3 birds are always around my house. I can usually get within 3 feet of them.
Sandhill cranes. Nice set.
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